Shades of a Different Color
by spirit-rider125
Summary: To the demon world, Tay is invisible. But to Tay, the demon world is her only hope of finding her sister.  That, and a certain red head who refuses to give her a straight answer.  KuramaXOC
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): Hello people of fan fiction!! So, this is my first story. XD It's a little strange and a little slow but I will try to do my best with it. Any constructive criticism is smiled upon, flames are frowned upon but reviews are always welcome. So on with the story and enjoy. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters. I only own my characters and the such ^_^**

Eyes the color of a stormy night looked out at the starry sky. The girl belonging to those eyes thought to herself, 'What a night. And what a way to end it all.' With a final look through the window, she gathered what little had been given to her over the course of her life, and walked out the door.

It wasn't because of her home life that she was leaving. Heaven knows she loved her family dearly; especially her older sister, Cara. She was the friend, mentor and role model the girl always needed. A shoulder to cry on, a person to listen, Cara was always there.

But that was it. Cara had always been there. And then she wasn't. Cara, with her vivacious attitude and brilliant outlook on life, the girl had always thought her sister would be there for her. But she wasn't. She had been taken from her and her family and friends, the candle of her life, just blown out because of a whim.

And the girl took issue with that. So she was going to fix it. She was going to find the man in charge and bring her sister back to where she was meant to be. That was why the girl was leaving; leaving behind her life and all those she loved. A hard choice but one she was willing to make. For her sister, she was willing to walk through fire. And so she would, the fires of hell.

The girl walked out of her home, taking the first steps of her journey. Suddenly, she stopped, her stormy eyes falling on the window belonging to her parent's bedroom. Her parents were sleeping, unaware of her decision to leave. And they would continue to be unaware, for the girl had connections in high places. Or, one could argue, low places. She knew a demon that had the ability to create false images. Her friends and parents would believe she was going about her day to day life. In actuality, she was headed after her first clue to getting her sister back.

The girl began walking away from her home, her thoughts turning to the days when her sister was still around. She thought of the times she spent with Cara, the times before things went downhill. The year previous was when it all changed. As her eyes closed, her mind began replaying what had once been.

*~*Flashback*~*

"_Tay…Tay…TAY!" screamed a voice through the comfortable darkness of sleep. _

"_What?!?!" replied a tired voice. "Unlike some people, I enjoy sleep." Sleep crusted eyelids opened to reveal the cerulean blue within. "Geeze Cara, I thought I told you _not_ to wake me up on Saturdays."_

"_Tay, I realize that, and I am not sorry to inform you that today is Friday. Which means we have school."_

_A head of brown hair shot up like a bullet from its former resting place on the pillow._

"_Crazy sister say WHAT now?" questioned the bewildered Tay._

"_I'm saying you have about 12 minutes to get ready for school, otherwise you're riding the bus." At the thought of riding the big yellow cheese, both girls gave a full body shudder._

_Cara walked out of the room, allowing her sister to attend to a shorter version of her morning rituals. As Cara was gathering the last of her school stuff minutes later, Tay flew down the stairs with five minutes left until her sister had threatened to leave without her. She figured it was just enough time to scarf down some form of breakfast-type foods. With a minute to spare, Tay shoved all her school stuff in her bag as she followed Cara out the door._

_As Cara started up the car and headed off to school, she began the usual lecture about remembering to set an alarm. It had become somewhat of a routine for them at this point so Tay tuned her out and admired the passing view. Her family lived outside of town with only a few other houses nearby. So, for the most part, they were pretty isolated. There weren't many people out their way because of the legends about the forest they lived in. Tay's thoughts turned from that, though as she felt a sharp sensation in her shoulder. She turned to see her sister poking her with a mechanical pencil. Tay swatted the pencil away, giving her sister a strange look._

"_Why the pencil?" she asked._

"_Well, I figured that if poking you didn't get your attention, then I could always chuck it at your face. And besides, we've been sitting here for a good couple of minutes and you have yet to realize, oh space cadet sister of mine."_

_Tay looked up and, realizing her sister was right, opened the door without another word. After retrieving her backpack from the bowels of her sister's trunk, the two walked towards the school. They avoided looking at each other in an attempt to avoid breaking into laughter over Cara's oddness. But eventually, the inevitable happened. Tay and Cara began laughing so hard, tears could be seen in their eyes. Tay crouched down and closed her cerulean eyes in an effort to calm herself. _

*~*End Flashback*~*

Tay opened her eyes to find she had made it to the hill overlooking the town. Surprised, she found herself soaking in the sights in front of her. It was small, cozy town; a place where everyone knew everyone. A nice enough place. The only problem with that was, if she made her travel arrangements in town, she was likely to be recognized, and that wouldn't bode well. Especially considering it was late and she was supposedly at home sleeping. She would just have to walk to the next town to buy her ticket out.

Sighing in resignation, Tay headed away from the town for the first time in quite a while. Not since Cara had met a strange woman on an overnight trip to the beach the two of them had taken. She had identified her as a friend, but Tay could tell the difference. The blue haired women had scared Cara, something that wasn't a common occurrence.

Tay decided to call it a night and found a place to spend the night. After she decided it was dry enough, she laid down and, using her bag as a pillow, closed her eyes, dreaming about that day.

*~*Flashback*~*

"_Tay, you dunderhead, you're sleeping the day away!" _

_Tay replied by sticking her tongue out as she opened her cerulean eyes. Cara was standing over Tay, blocking the sun's access to her as she lay out on her beach towel. _

_The two of them had decided to take an overnight beach trip to celebrate a successful end to the school year. They checked into a hotel, and then headed straight for the beach. Cara had dropped her stuff once they'd claimed a spot and made a bee line for the water. Tay, meanwhile, spread out the towels and decided to do some sunbathing. Shortly after laying out, she had fallen asleep. Soon thereafter, she awoke to her energetic sister standing over her._

"_Tay, come on! We came to the beach to have fun! Not to sleep all day," argued Cara with the half woken Tay. "You need a good swim."_

"_Fine, fine! I'm up. I'll go as long as you promise not to dunk me like last time," replied Tay. The two of them walked toward the each until a shout from the boardwalk stopped them._

"_Cara!" shouted a blue haired woman who Tay didn't recognize. She looked at her sister and watched her smiling face become serious and slightly scared. _

"_Tay, you go ahead to the water. I just found a, uh…friend I need to talk to," Cara said absent-mindedly as she made eye contact with the blue-haired woman. Tay watched as her sister made her way through the crowds of the beach. She stayed where she was, watching as her sister received what was bound to be bad news from the woman. She knew this because Cara just stood there, unmoving except for her blonde hair blowing in the sea breeze._

_Suddenly, the blue-haired woman walked quickly away, leaving Cara standing by the rail of the board walk. She stood there a few moments more, until someone bumped shoulders with her as they were walking by. Having been taken out of her shock by the touch of reality, Cara began walking slowly back towards their stuff. As she neared, Tay saw a look of resignation and sadness in her sister's eyes._

"_Cara is everything all right?" asked Tay. "Who was that?"_

"_Oh, that was Botan, a friend of mine from way back. She told me that another friend of ours is close to dying and wants to see us all together again," replied Cara in a distant tone._

"_Do you need to take me home so you can go? I don't mind. Really."_

"_No, they are local. But you should probably go back to the hotel. I can take my stuff in the car," said Cara as she began packing._

_Tay agreed and when they had both finished packing, the girls headed their separate ways. As she stepped on the walkway leading to the front doors, Tay looked back at the setting sun. When it had become too bright for her royal blue eyes, she closed them, hoping to get the look on her sister's face out of her head._

*~*End Flashback*~*

The growing light of the rising sun caused Tay to open her eyes. She looked around, confused about her surroundings, until she remembered the previous night's decision. She sat up and stretched, her muscles aching from spending the night on the ground. Tay then dug through her bag for something to eat before she continued on towards her destination.

Because she was walking, she arrived at the town's bus station around 11:30. She bought the cheapest ticket to the nearest city with an airport. Tay walked onto the bus, only pausing to take one last look at the last familiar thing she would be seeing for a while. The bus ride wasn't a long one, but it was enough to take her out of the world she had known her entire life. The bus pulled up to the city station around 3:45p.m.

From there, Tay headed to the airport. She walked up to the desk and bought decent tickets for the next leg of her journey. Her ticket would take her to the country where she was going to find her sister.

***Japan***


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello people of fanfiction! I'M ALIVE! So my brain decided to not work for this story for a while but, for the moment, I'VE FIXED IT! So this is chapter TWO! If it's confusing I apologize it will make sense later ^_^ so READ ON PEOPLE, read on.**

**Oh! And thank you to AlyssaRose369 for helping my organize my brainXD**

**UPDATE: I tweaked this slightly so it fits the format of the other chapters but the contents haven't changed.**

Panicked eyes looked around the cabin as people shoved past Tay trying to get to their seats. Storm blue eyes darted every which way trying to identify where her assigned seat was. Tay inched toward the back, trying her best no to bump into the people attempting to fit their carry-on luggage in the overhead compartments. She slowly sat down in her window seat realizing, as the claustrophobia set in, that this leg of her journey wouldn't be as easy as she thought. Buckling her safety belt, she looked out the window, soaking in her last view of the ground for the next few hours.

The pilot announced over the intercom that they were ready for takeoff, so Tay looked away from the window and gripped the arm rests. The plane began its takeoff down the runway and as the wheels lifted off the ground, Tay felt her stomach drop; a sensation that was similar to the first drop of a roller coaster.

As the plane finished its ascent, her death grip on the arm rests let up. Tay looked out the window to gauge the plane's travel out of the states. Though, she came to regret that decision moments later when she saw that they were already well over the Atlantic. Slowly, she turned her head away from the windows, dug through her bag for her iPod and put her ear buds in once she'd found it. Tay closed her eyes and tried to sleep as she felt the claustrophobia ebb away for the moment. She realized it was going to be the longest ride of her life.

* * *

Tay awoke hours later to a robotically sweet flight attendant gently waking her. She had managed to sleep soundly all the way across the Atlantic, much to her delight. It took Tay a few moments to comprehend what the attendant was trying to tell her.

"Miss, miss, you're going to have to buckle your seat belt. We will be arriving in Ireland shortly."

"Oh, alright, thanks," replied Tay slowly, still half-asleep. She sat her seat up, turned off her iPod and looked out the window to see her first view of Europe. Rolling green lands greeted her as the plane descended. The claustrophobia she hadn't realized was setting in ebbed away as the plane neared land.

"Welcome to Dublin Airport and thank you for flying Trans-Atlantic Air," came the voice of the pilot over the intercom. The plane stopped and all the passengers stood up to grab their carry-on bags. Not having any carry-on luggage, Tay made her way through the aisles stuffed with people. Once she stepped off the plane, she took a deep breath of air. She made her way into the terminal, the immensity of the task she had set herself to dawning on her. All she had to go on was a few sites about Japanese hospitality. Cara had been looking at them for a few days, right up until she disappeared. So Tay was now on her way to Japan, hoping that luck was on her side.

Tay walked into the terminal to wait for her next flight. Her layover was a few hours long so she had some time to kill.

The Dublin Airport was rather large. There were multiple floors with multiple shops and food stuffs. Tay decided she would explore where she could in the airport, starting with finding the terminal where her next flight would be.

* * *

An hour later she finally found it. The terminal she was looking for looked like it was an addition to the airport that had almost been forgotten. It was shoved into the farthest corner of the airport, away from just about everything. Tay then decided that food was next on her list of things to kill time with. She walked away from the forgotten terminal toward the more populated zone of the Dublin Airport.

Once she lost sight of the forgotten terminal, it finally occurred to her why it was so far away from the hustle and bustle. And why the few beings that occupied the terminal felt strange to her. They were demons. Apparently demons had enough sway in this place to have their own terminal.

Tay put that out of her mind as she went to find herself food. She wasn't a very picky eater so she just chose the nearest shop. As she walked away with whatever food her stomach had persuaded her to buy in hand, her thoughts drifted back to the demon terminal. It was a strange thing for demons to have their own area. Even stranger was the fact that she had ended up buying a ticket for that terminal. Apparently fate was trying to push her in some sort of direction.

In the small amount of time Tay had been gone, the terminal had filled quite a bit. As she walked further in, she looked at the place with a new eye. Now that she knew what she was looking at, Tay could clearly see all the demons, particularly those that felt comfortable enough to not hide their true forms. There was an especially blatant demon to Tay's left that was being so obvious it was laughable. He had a head of flaming red hair, pointed ears and pointed teeth. But that wasn't the laughable part. He was sitting cross-legged against the far wall and was floating a good foot in the air.

'_Obviously_,' she thought to herself, '_he's a wind demon, and not one to be trifled with either_.' She came to the second conclusion when she saw him playing with the wind he controlled.

Tay wasn't exactly thrilled when she saw that the only open seats were near the red-haired wind demon. She sat down, put her bag next to her and leaned down to pull out her every-trusty iPod and book in an effort to look busy. Too bad the floating one felt the urge to speak before she could pull either of them out.

"'Ello lassie," spoke the pointy-eared demon. Tay eyed him warily wondering why this demon was talking to her. "You know…you look rather familiar."

"Um…thanks," Tay responded, not knowing what to say. '_This guy keeps getting stranger and stranger_,' she thought to herself.

"No seriously. You remind me of a girl I met a few days ago. Tall, blonde hair with eyes greener then the hills of this place," replied the red head floater. Upon hearing the description of this curious girl, Tay stopped and faced the red head straight on. She stared at him for a few moments trying to gauge how well she could trust him. After weighing her options, she decided she had no choice and said to him words that almost killed her inside.

"My sister's alive?"

* * *

The remaining time in the terminal was a blur for Tay. The wind-demon, who had introduced himself as Jin, told her the full account of his encounter with Cara. At the end of his tale, they announced boarding for the flight to Japan. It turns out that fate had meddled with her life again, for Jin was in the seat beside Tay's for the flight.

They boarded the plane without issue. Though, as they found their seats, the distraction of another clue to Cara couldn't outweigh Tay's claustrophobia. Once she was in her seat and buckled in, Tay stared out the window to burn the image of the outside world into her head. Jin looked over at Tay, about to give words of encouragement for her search, when he saw her white knuckles clamped to the arm rests.

"I take it, that you have a case of claustrophobia comin' about ya?"

Tay answered in a shaky voice, eyes never leaving the window. "You could say that." Suddenly she felt a slight breeze on her face. She slowly turned to face Jin, a curious look on her face.

"Close your eyes and dream of the rolling hills of Ireland."

Tay followed his direction. She closed her eyes, but she didn't dream of Ireland. She dreamt of the open hills of home.

*~*Flashback*~*

_BEEP...BEEP…BEEP!_

_"Oh will you shut up already!" Tay shouted at her alarm clock as she tried to find it without getting out of bed. When she was finally conscious enough to realize her clock was on the other side of the room, she opened her eyes of royal blue. Surprisingly, her face space was Cara free. Usually during the school year, her sister woke her up before her alarm could even think about it. But since the new school year had begun, she hadn't at all._

_Tay pondered that thought for a moment longer, before finally crawling out of bed. She ate breakfast and got her stuff together before finally piling into Cara's car. The ride to school was unusually quiet. Cara was just focusing on the road, not bothering to comment on anything like she once had. After a thought, Tay realized that her sister had been uncharacteristically quiet all week._

_When the pair arrived at school Cara tossed the keys to Tay and hurried into the building. Tay watched after her sister with a worried glance. Something was defiantly wrong if Cara was handing over the keys to her car. Tay glanced at the keys once more before she headed into the school._

_She worried about Cara all day. Ever since that day on the beach with the blue-haired woman, her sister hadn't been herself. The rest of the summer involved Cara avoiding time alone with Tay. There was either a friend to go see or an excuse to be used. The new school year saw Cara being the quietest she had ever been._

_Before the end of the day, Cara found Tay and told her that she was going to catch a ride with a friend, leaving Tay to drive her car home._

_'This weirdness has to end,' Tay thought to herself as she pulled up on an intersection. Seeing no one else through the open fields and hills, she took her foot off the brake. Tay gently accelerated through the intersection, leaving time to admire the brilliant orange leaves of the nearest tree. Suddenly her car stopped on its own, completely shutting off. She attempted to turn it back on for a few minutes before she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Tay tried unbuckling her seat belt in her frantic attempt to get out of her frozen car._

_The thing she had seen was car, hurtling toward her, making no attempts to stop. As it got closer to her, she could see the driver and passenger. In the driver's seat was the blonde hair and green eyes of Cara. However, as the car got closer, Tay could see it wasn't the Cara she knew. Her face held no emotion. In the passenger seat was a boy of medium build with red hair. Even when she knew she should be finding a way out of the car, Tay thought of all the strange things she saw in that car. One being that this strange boy was defiantly not one of Cara's friends and another being that mystery boy was wearing a pink uniform. Tay, both astounded and scared, was frozen in her seat. Everything turned to slow motion as she watched their car crash into her's, metal screeching like nails on a chalk board. After that everything went black._

* * *

_The doctors had told her she was a walking miracle. She had walked away from a major T-bone collision with only a few minor scrapes. Both cars had been completely totaled. Cara and her passenger couldn't be found, but people assumed that even if they'd walked away, they were probably dead by now. Tay didn't believe that._

_The last night Tay was to spend in the hospital, she spent it tossing and turning. She replayed the crash over and over in her head. Tay wondered why her car had stopped, why the other car didn't stop and why her sister had run off. The sun had risen before she finally closed her navy blue eyes, falling into a troubled sleep._

*~*End Flashback*~*

"Lassie, lassie, wake up," said a somewhat familiar Irish accent through the inky blackness of her nap.

"Jin you can stop shaking me. I'm awake," replied Tay.

"My apologies lassie. Just seemed to me that your dream wasn't as pleasant as you had wanted it to be."

"It's alright Jin. It was just my sister."

"She's got some kind of effect over you doesn't she? Even after she's left."

Tay sighed. "Yeah Jin, she did, does….gah! I don't even know anymore. She was my older sister my best friend. When she left, my world turned upside down. And when I was told she was dead, I just couldn't believe it. So that's why I decided to leave for Japan. I was hoping to find Botan. She's a spirit guide who was in contact with Cara." And as she related to Jin the events that led up to Tay leaving home, she closed her storm eyes and pictured that day. The day that initiated her journey.

*~*Flashback*~*

_"Tay, honey, it's time to get up. We have a visitor." Her mother gently shook her from the cat nap she was taking on the couch. It was the only form of sleep she had been able to get since coming home from the hospital two week previous._

_"Fine mom, I'll be in my room," Tay said with a sigh._

_"Sorry Tay, you can't play anti-social with this one. He specifically wants to see you." In an effort to emphasis her point to her sleep-deprived daughter, she pointed her finger at Tay._

_Tay paused for a moment. Visitors had become a common occurrence at their house since the supposed death of her popular sister. But someone coming to see Tay was a definite surprise. All her friends seemed to have forgotten her existence since she had come home from the hospitalit was as if she was invisible._

_Tay pulled herself into an upright position as her visitor walked in. She looked at the questionable stranger before saying anything. The visitor was taller than the average person, with vibrant red hair. His strangest feature was the pink uniform he was wearing. And that was when it finally hit Tay. She then did her best to put the couch between her and her visitor. Thankfully her mother had left the two of them alone or else there would have been a lot of questions later._

_The stranger, smirking slightly at her reaction, sat down on the opposite couch and answered her unasked question._

_"My name is Kurama and yes, I was in your sister's car the day of your accident."_

**Dun, Dun DUUUUUUN! So that's chapter 2! Hopefully chapter 3 comes out before my brain decides to dislike this again :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry to those who are tired of the all flashbacks. Back stories are really hard to explain so I figure, hey, why not live them ^_^ There are only gonna be a few more chapters with flashbacks soo...HUZZAH!...**

**A big thank you to AlyssaRose369 for jump starting my brain ^_^ THANK YOU! Now on with the story...**

_Tay was forced to stop her attempt at putting space between herself and her visitor by the back wall of her living room. Unbelieving storm blue eye were glued to the pink form that called itself Kurama. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. Every part of her body conveyed doubt about the words that Kurama had just spoken. As she replayed the crash in her head, though, she realized that the green eyes staring her down in her living room were the same green eyes that stared her down in her memory. _

"_Look Tay, I realize that this is a difficult time for you but there are things that you need to hear. It would probably be a lot more comfortable for you if you sat down," said Kurama with a look on his face something akin to pity. That woke Tay up from her frozen state._

"_Look Kurama, I don't need your pity. If you've come here to say something then say it already," she said as she made her way back around the couch. Tay sat down and curled her knees up in an effort to keep something between her and the strange heaviness that surrounded Kurama. She also noticed the rose in his hands, strange for a high school boy not visiting a loved one. He looked at her with a quizzical eye before continuing._

"_Tay, your sister walked away from the acci-"_

"_It wasn't an accident; she tried to run me over with her car. And thank you for overstating the obvious," interrupted Tay. "Just get on with it already."_

"_What I'm trying to say is that she walked away with my help. I'm not human, well not entirely." At this point, Kurama stopped fiddling with the rose. Once he had finished his thought, the rose extended into a weapon before Tay could even blink. She had been slightly distracted by the flower so when it went from six inches to six feet, she quickly took notice. After a quick hop, skip and a jump she was back on the other side of the couch, eyes widening to the point of looking like an owl. _

"_Back to the couch Tay, I'm still not done," ordered Kurama._

"_After that display, I'm staying here," stated Tay. The strange aura that surrounded Kurama had increased immensely. "As far as I'm concerned, the farther I am from you, the better."_

"_Fine, I will continue. I am a demon. In this reality there exist three different worlds: the Spirit World, the Human World and the Demon World. Not to state the obvious but I am originally from the Demon World. You live in the Human World and your sister has gone to the Spirit World," stated Kurama with a clinical tone. It took a while for his words to sink in for Tay._

"_Wait, my sister's actually dead?" asked Tay._

"_Yes, she is. I saw it myself after the crash. Botan, the blue-haired woman who you have undoubtedly already met, guided her spirit on. Botan is a spirit guide for the deceased."_

_Tay slowly leaned back against the wall and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. With tears streaming down her face, Tay looked at Kurama, willing his words to be false. All those week she has spent wondering what had happened to her sister, hoping that Cara was still out there somewhere. But now all those hopes turned to heartbreak as reality came crashing down around her. She glared at the floor trying not to let Kurama see her cry._

"_If you could calm yourself, there is still more to say."_

"_Seriously? You just told me demons exist, that my sister is dead, and that she is now in this so-called Spirit World. What else could you say? The world's gonna end tomorrow?" replied a severely distraught Tay. "At this point, I could care less. I want you out of my house Kurama. Right. Now." _

_Tay's mom suddenly appeared at the door. "I heard yelling. Is everything all right in here?"_

"_Fine mom, everything is just fine," replied Tay with a forced smile. "In fact, our guest was just leaving"_

"_Yes, I really must be going. Thank you for allowing me time with your daughter," Kurama replied politely. _

_Her mother's eyes lit up. "Tay, why don't you walk your friend to the door?" A strange, plotting look came over her mother's face as she followed Kurama to the door._

_Before walking out the door, Kurama turned to Tay. "Just follow your sister's trail," Kurama said with a sigh. "She'll have left an obvious one if my suspicions are correct." With that, Kurama stood up and walked out the door. _

_Tay slammed to door shut after Kurama made his exit. She stormed up the stairs as her mother watched on with supposedly knowing eyes. She immediately turned to her left and was greeted by the door to her sister's room. She hadn't opened the door since her sister's disappearance and now, after a few words from a stranger, she was about to comb through her sister's personal space looking for answers. _

_The door creaked and dust swirled as Tay quietly peeked into the dark room. It was just as it had been left after the crash. The bed was against the far wall, still messy as though someone had just slept in it. The night stand stood beside it with a darkened lamp sitting on top. Two book shelves stood on either side of the desk that was against the adjacent wall. On the desk stood the center of information for Cara's life…her journal. _

_Tay walked over and gingerly sat in the desk chair and looked at the book. She reached down and gently touched the decorated cover. The journal just sat there, covered with a light layer of dust from lack of use. Tay took a deep, calming breath and reached down into the topmost drawer to retrieve the key that unlocked the journal. She was treading on private areas of her sister's life and after her conversation with Kurama, she was scared of what she would find._

_She opened up Cara's most recent entry titled "IMPORTANT BOOKS". At the top of the list was a message specifically meant for Tay. She had to read it three times before finally understanding what it said. _

**Tay, if you're using the key then obviously you have met Kurama. He'll have explained all about the recessive gene and why I had to go. I've left you the list of books he gave me. Hopefully it'll be able to get you through this. I'm sorry we didn't get to spend enough time together throughout the summer, but I had to know why I was being chased; why I was being forced to leave home. Please don't hate me for this. You know I would have never left if I had a choice but I didn't. I wish you the best out of life and know that you are the best sister a girl could ask for. ^_^**

_Tay looked at the page astonished. The first thing that crossed her mind was, "Oh crap." At least Cara had left the books. It gave her a starting point to figure out what Kurama was apparently supposed to tell her._

"_So," Tay thought to herself as she copied down the list, "It's off to the library." With that, she ran downstairs, threw on her shoes and headed towards the door. She walked outside and was greeted by the late afternoon sun. Tay barely registered her mother's reminder to be home by dinner before she was off on her bike, heading straight for the town's library. If these books were anywhere, they'd be there. _

* * *

_As small as her town was, it prided itself with being able to provided future generations with the knowledge to succeed. So the library was one of the biggest buildings in town. With a pull of the front door, Tay found herself in a spacious, well lit room that could hardly pass as a library. Couches were scattered in different areas of the library. Rows upon rows of shelves were filled with books of varying ages. As tense as the past hour had made her, the comforting sight of the books had a calming effect on her._

_Tay made her way over to a computer and began her search for the many books on the list her sister had left her. She wrote down all the call numbers and discovered that all the books were near each other, all of them clustered in the back corner. Tay made her way to the back and found the first couple of books on the list on a shelf beside the back wall. She took them off the shelf, sat down and, leaning against the bookshelf along the wall, began reading. _

_As she started into the books, the things she found out made her head spin. Obviously these books weren't regular reading material as evidenced by the large cloud of dust that had been displaced when she had pulled them off the shelf. The books described different demon classes and power types, different power levels and intelligence capabilities. There was even a whole chapter on the exploits of a Yoko Kurama._

'_Hmm,' Tay thought, "I wonder if Kurama is any relation to him…"_

_Tay had become so immersed in her reading that she didn't notice the shadow silently making its way down the aisle on the other side of the bookshelf. She heard a creak and looked up to see the bookshelf in front of her blocking the light on the ceiling. Once the books started slipping from their shelves, Tay finally realized she had to move. She dove along the shelf she had been using for a backrest as the books tumbled down around her. Hoping to save herself from some injury, Tay curled up, covered her head with her hands and hoped for the best as the books crashed down around and on her. _

_When there was once again quiet, Tay looked up slowly. What she saw amazed and frightened her. The bookshelf that had supposedly fallen was standing in its proper place. The only thing that was out of place was the guy that was now standing in front her. He towered over her huddled form and the look he gave her was the definition of "if looks could kill". The dark, broad form in front of her looked down at her for a few moments more before finally speaking._

"_Leave now and keep away from demons," the deep voice rung out surrounding her._

_Tay just sat there stunned for a few moments longer before comprehending what he had said. "You don't scare me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper to keep it from shaking. While she was scared, she didn't want this strange man to know that. Trusting her voice more, she spoke a little louder. "I've seen worse than you."_

"_Maybe, but what I can make you see is worse than you could possibly imagine."_

_As visions of her sister dying in gruesome ways flashed behind her eyes, the tall, dark and creepy stranger walked away without a second thought._


	4. Chapter 4

**Huzzah for making it to chapter 4! Oodles upon oodles of thanks to SolitaryNyght for reviewing. It made my day ^_^ This should be the last fully flashback chapter. After that we get into the actual story! Hopefully my brain decides to cooperate for that longXD Now on to the fourth chapter!**

_Tay stumbled into her house, almost tripping over the few steps to her front door. The "invasion", as she had dubbed it, for she couldn't call it what it was, had left her shocked and sick. Tay had to fight her gag reflex all the way home whenever she thought of what had happened in the back of the library. She pulled herself up the stairs to the bathroom where she could go over the events of the past few hours without being sick all over her stuff. Her mom called to her in a worried voice but the buzzing in her ears kept her from hearing her. _

_Tay lowered herself down floor leaning against the tub across from the toilet. Putting her head between her knees, Tay took deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. Once that had been nearly achieved she went over the events leading up to the "invasion". Obviously that dude knew about demons, and was probably one himself. The things she had seen were way too real but had defiantly not actually happened. The book case had still been standing when she had looked up and she didn't even want to enter the realm of her sister's death. _

_He had been able to make her see things that weren't actually there…in other words illusions. His tall, dark and creepiness had probably been an illusion as well. And the fact that he had shown up as she was reading all those book probably hadn't been a coincidence either. So putting two and two together brought her to the conclusion that he was there at the library to scare people off the demon trail…something her sister's note hadn't warned her about that. That also meant that this demon had known about her sister's research. Tay spent the rest of the night mentally preparing herself for what she had to do in the morning, before finally falling into a dreamless sleep._

_Tay woke up and, for about two seconds, her half-wakened state was blissfully unaware of the events that had transpired the previous day. Then it all came crashing down on her and she had to fight the urge to be sick right there. After collecting herself, Tay made her way downstairs for a quick breakfast before heading to the library for another round with the demon of illusion._

* * *

_The spacious room once again greeted her as she entered the library. Tay paused at the door long enough to take a look at all the library employees before heading back to the demonology corner. It was just as empty as it had been yesterday so she sat down, pulled out a book and waited for tall, dark and creepy. _

_As expected, he strode down the aisle a few minutes later, making books appear to fly around in his wake. Tay looked up and suddenly the illusion dissolved. Mr. tall, dark and creepy was no longer tall dark and creepy. He was actually of average height, and not as broad as his illusion had made him. He was pale with freckles splattered all over his face. Mousy brown hair stuck out at all angles and as he stopped in front of her, he tried to pull the imposing look he had pulled on her last night. With the freckles and mousy hair, it actually looked a little funny. She couldn't help but laugh._

_The look on his face slid faster than a landslide. He stared at her with disbelief. Apparently his illusions hadn't been as fool proof as he had thought. He sat down across from her, looking stunned and a little saddened. _

"_How can you see me?"_

"_Quite easily apparently. Your illusion just kind of…..vanished. I take it that's not normal…right?"_

"_Ummm, no," he said confused._

"_Well then, can you tell me why you scared the snot out of me yesterday? It wasn't very nice ya know," Tay said, becoming more and more confident after seeing the man behind the illusion. _

"_It's my job. I have to and it's no fun!" He whined. Tay let out a small giggle. She could see that this demon posed no actual threat; he was a just big kid at heart. _

_Tay stuck out her hand waited for him to do the same. He looked at her hand like it had sprouted five more fingers. Cautiously, as though expecting to be blown to pieces, he took her hand and shook it._

"_My name's Tay. What's yours?" _

_He sniffled. "It's Latham. Why are you being so nice to me? You weren't even supposed to come back."_

_Tay shrugged. "Call me stubborn. There's some stuff in these books I really need to know. Latham, do you think you could help me?"_

"_Well," he pondered for a moment. "I'm not supposed to. Humans aren't allowed to know about us, but since you seem to already know…OKAY!" Latham seemed to perk up and shot up to his feet. Sticking his hand out, he pulled Tay to her feet and they took off across the library. Without knowing where they were going, she let Latham lead the way. He stopped at the door to one of the private study rooms, pulled her inside and locked it behind them. _

"_Okay, Tay, I have a question to ask before we start. Do you have a sister?" As he asked, his eyes lit up with hope. _

_Tay froze for a moment, shocked at the mention of her sister. Gathering herself, she continued. "I did."_

_Latham's face fell. Obviously Cara had been kind to him. Her suspicions were confirmed a moment later. "I liked her, she was really nice to me, didn't hate me for trying to scare her." For a moment he paused, thinking and grimaced, then he continued, "Like I did with you." _

"_Wait, if you didn't know she was dead, then how did you make me see that stuff back in the library?"_

"_I don't actually know what you were seeing. Whenever I do stuff inside people's heads, it's always what they fear seeing right then." Latham looked at Tay with a worried face. Tay thought for a moment and realized that she was always afraid that Cara has suffered after the crash._

"_Oh, well how did Cara get past your illusion?" Tay asked, trying to focus past Cara._

"_Well, she said the second time I tried it on her, it just," Latham paused, looking for the right word, "blew up. The only time I've ever had that happen is when I tried too hard."_

"_So have you ever had your illusion just dissolve like what happened to me?" At this point Tay was very curious. Obviously Latham was practiced with his illusions and he was very confused. Tay shared some of his confusion as well, having experienced the illusion herself._

"_Well, it happened once but that was when I was very young and didn't put enough energy into it. It just fell apart, kinda like it did back there." Latham looked at Tay like he was asking her to solve the mystery._

"_Hmmmmm, and you're sure that the illusion was strong enough to hold but not explode?" Tay was beginning to piece things together._

"_Quite sure," Latham replied._

"_Well, then it has to have something to do with me and Cara. We're the only common factor in both situations. Only thing is I don't know how in heaven's name we would affect your powers that much," Tay finished her train of thought, though much more confused than when she had started._

"_I can't help you with that, but I have a friend in town that might," Latham replied, his face lighting up at the chance to help. "He's pretty smart when it comes to just about anything, so he should be able to help you." Latham pulled a pen and a slip of paper out of his pocket. It was then that Tay noticed his library employee tag. _

"_Latham, do you work here?" Tay asked, very surprised._

_He looked a little sheepish. "Yeah, I do. It's the only way I can keep an eye on the books and not look weird for being at the library all day, every day." With that, Latham handed her the sheet of paper. "My friend is from out of town so he's staying at that hotel. I'll let him know you're coming. His room number is under that. The telephone number is mine. If you need any more help, gimme a call." _

_Tay took the paper with relief. She was finally taking a step in the right direction. "Thank you Latham, really. I'll probably come back with even more questions." With a smile Tay unlocked the door and walked out of the library. _

_Most everything in town comes off of a main road. Tay walked away from the library towards the center of town. The hotel that Latham's friend was staying at was a popular place for the few tourists that managed to find their way into town. Tay walked up to the hotels doors and paused for half a second to let them opened. She walked to the elevator, not sparing a glance for the receptionist. Any hesitation and she'd be escorted out, and not by choice either._

_Pushing the button for the right floor, she waited for the few moments it took to reach it. The elevator doors slowly opened to reveal a brightly lit hallway with multiple doors on either side. Tay slowly walked down the hallway, carefully reading each number before finally reaching the door she needed. Taking a breath, she raised her handed and rapped her knuckles on the door three times before bringing them back to her side._

_From inside she heard a "One moment" from a familiar voice; she just couldn't place it. Tay heard footsteps approach the door, saw the knob turn and then the door opened. Tay froze and was finally able to place a name to the voice. The red hair and green eyes were unmistakable._

"_Kurama?"_

**Oh the drama! Thanks for reading and reviews are most welcome ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

**HELLO PEOPLE OF FANFICTION! I am alive! Sorry for the wait, life somtimes says no to the writing of fanfiction, but here it be, chapter 5. Hope it is enjoyed and as always, reviews are a nice thing ^_^ and TrunksgirlBlaze27: I'm glad you came back to this ^_^ This is the last chapter of flashbacks for a good long while...I myself was getting tired of the flashbacks . THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT MY VERY SILLY MISTAKE ^_^ I must have written that part at like 3 in the morning ^_^ **

* * *

"_Kurama?"_

_The red head's impenetrable poker face fell for a split second before he recovered. "Tay? What are you doing here?"_

"_Ummm, well I followed Cara's trail…like you said. Would I'm sorry and I'm a stupid idiot be enough to cover everything?"_

_With a sigh, Kurama motioned Tay inside his room. She took a seat in the corner chair and looked around the compulsively neat room. It was as if he had never spent any time in the room and yet there were luggage bags on the bed and half empty drawers like he was packing._

"_Kurama, are you leaving?"_

_He paused in his packing and turned to look at her. "Yes Tay. I've been called back to Japan. I have a friend in need of my talents." With that, he continued to pack._

"_Japan! You waltz into my town, turn my life upside down and then just leave?" Tay stopped and took a calming breath. Exploding at him wasn't going to solve her problems. "Latham told me you'd be able to help me." _

_Almost to himself he said, "I knew I shouldn't have given that illusionist my location." Then remembering who was in the room with him he turned to her. "I must leave Tay. A…friend of mine is in need of my assistance. If you really want your answers come find me in Japan. " Again she was handed a card, this time with an address on it. "That's the address of my home in Japan. There I'm known as Shuichi Minamino. Do not under any circumstances mention Kurama to my mother." _

_Tay accepted they card. Many questions came to mind about how a demon had a mother, why he was living with her and all kinds of other things but the look on Kurama's face told her to not question any further. She quietly watched him walk out the door with his luggage and leave the hotel. _

* * *

… "And that's how I ended up here, on my way to Japan."

Jin was quiet for a moment, letting the whole tale sink in. He opened his mouth to talk when a flight attendant walked up to the pair. "Excuse me," she said, "but I'm going to have to ask you to put on your seat belts." She forced a smile at Tay but when she made eye contact with Jin, she lit up like a Christmas tree. "Thank you," replied Tay with a sugary sweet smile. That seemed to bring the flight attendant out of her fascinated trance with Jin's face. As she walked away, Jin continued.

"So this Kurama fellow just expected you to follow him all the way to Japan?" Jin shook his head. "That seems like a lil' much to ask out of you."

"Well, if I wanted those answers that Cara told me he was supposed to give me, I was going to have to follow him. And, obviously, here I am, on my way to Japan. But I'm just curious about that whole recessive gene thing Cara mentioned. It seems a like a strange thing to be of such importance." Tay looked out the window with a thoughtful glance. Things just seemed to be getting to be too much.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying with us and welcome to Japan," interrupted the loud speaker.

"Well lassie," continued Jin, "I wish you the best of luck finding this Kurama lad. Seems to me as though you'll be needin' it."

"Thanks Jin," replied Tay with a smile. "Maybe I'll see you around?" Jin just smiled as Tay took her things from the overhead compartment. Together the two of them made their way out of the plane and through the airport entrance. Jin waited with her while she hailed a taxi.

"Tay, I gotta ask you to be careful with what you're gettin' into. The demon world is no cakewalk."

"I know Jin but I have to try. Otherwise I'll regret not finding out for the rest of my life." Tay moved to get into her taxi, but Jin grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"Lassie I don't often do this but I like you and hope you'll stay out of trouble, but incase that doesn't happen," at this he pulled out a small object and placed it in her hand, "take this."

Tay opened her hand and looked down. The small object was a ring. It was a pair of hands around a heart with a crown on the top. Tay gave Jin a puzzled expression. "How is this supposed to help me?"

He gave her a sad smile. "I hope you never have to find out lassie. Now get in that taxi and find your answers." Jin gave her a gentle nudge and waved good bye as she settled into the taxi. As the vehicle drove away Tay looked back to get one last glimpse of the only kind person she had met so far and saw a group of strange looking men come and join Jin where he was standing.

"Miss?" The taxi driver brought Tay from her thoughts. "Miss, where is it you would like to go?"

Tay handed him the card. "Here please," Tay asked as she handed the driver the card from Kurama. As the taxi brought her through the city, Tay let her thoughts drift. She thought of her sister but more of the mystery that was Kurama. Why did he have a mother? How did she not know about his demon side? The energy was rolling off him in waves when she met him.

The taxi driver brought Tay back to reality once more. "Here we are miss."

"Thank you." Tay handed him the fare and walked up to the door. She knocked on the door and heard from the other side a shout of "One Moment!" A few seconds later the door opened and Kurama stepped out with a bag over his shoulder. He closed and locked the door before looking at her. When he did his impenetrable mask fell for a moment in surprise. Obviously he hadn't expected her to actually come all the way to Japan.

They stood there for a few moments in an awkward silence before one of them finally spoke. "Hello Tay."

"Hey Kurama."

Kurama sighed. "Tay are you making it a habit to find the worst time to talk?"

Tay gave Kurama a peeved look. "I fly all the way from the states and you can't find the time to talk?"

"No Tay, I can't speak with you at the moment. I have somewhere to be."

"Well then if you very well wouldn't mind, I would like to accompany you to wherever it is you need to be. This conversation of ours won't be put off any longer," Tay replied with a decided look. Obviously she wasn't going to be stopped.

With an uncharacteristically defeated sigh, Kurama motioned for her to follow. They walked in silence for a while before coming to a great building. Tay paused for a moment while Kurama continued inside. "This is a hospital," she finally said, confused.

Kurama looked back. "Yes, it's where my mother has been for the past few weeks. I was leaving to visit her when you insisted upon coming. So here we are."

They walked in and past the front desk as Kurama gave the receptionist a smile. The two of them made their way through the confusion of halls and doors until they finally stopped in front of a long term care door. Kurama gently knocked as he opened the door and entered the room. Sitting on the bed was a middle aged woman with long black hair pulled back from her face. She had a kind face and smiled at the sight of Kurama.

"Good morning mother." Kurama's expression seemed to soften around his mother.

"Shuichi dear, you didn't need to come visit me this morning." She smiled at him. "It's a school day."

"No mother, we were given the day off due to troubles within the plumbing in the school. They don't know how long it's going to take to fix it so we may be out of school for a while." Tay looked at Kurama as he spoke and, for reasons unknown to her, she could tell he was lying.

"Well how odd….hopefully it doesn't affect the rest of the year." Kurama's mother paused for a moment and then turned to Tay. "I apologize. I don't believe we've been introduced yet." She stuck her hand out. "I am Shiori Minamino and, if you couldn't tell, Shuichi's mother." Shiori sincerely smiled at Tay, something she hadn't experienced often in the past few weeks.

Tay took her hand and returned the smile. "I'm Tacey, but most people call me Tay."

"That's a pretty name. If I might ask, how do you know my son?"

Tay froze, unsure how to answer. "Well, I-"

"She's my pen pal…from the States," Kurama interrupted. She shot him a grateful look but he just continued looking at his mother.

"You never told me you had a pen-pal," said Shiori.

"It was nothing major, mother. It was for my world studies class and we just continued to keep in touch. I was surprised this morning when she knocked on our door." Kurama glared at her as if threatening her into continuing the lie.

"Yeah Ms. Minamino, I am in Japan to meet up with my _sister_," she put emphasis on the word and looked at Kurama pointedly before continuing. "I thought I'd come visit Kurama while I was here."

"How nice! Well, with Shuichi out of school for the next few days, maybe you'll have time to get to know each other better while Tay is here."

"Oh mother, you must have forgotten. My science class is taking a trip for a few days, so I won't be able to visit for a while." Kurama must be an experienced liar to pull one out so fast and to his mother too.

"I must have forgotten. `Well maybe another time, Tay," Shiori said, slightly deflated. Tay didn't want to let this kind woman down, even though she'd only met her a few minutes earlier.

"Well Ms. Minamino, I'm going to be around for a while. There's a great possibility I'll be here when he gets back." After all the forced smiles she had seen over the past few days, Tay easily brought one out.

"Well then Tay, maybe you and I get to know one another while Shuichi is off on his field trip," replied Kurama's mom.

Tay brought out a sincere smile. "You know what Ms. Minamino, I'd like that."

* * *

**XD I hope you all enjoyed that. I can't make any promises as to when the next chapter will be up but hopefully it will be soon ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6

**So here is my christmas gift to all you readers...ANOTHER CHAPTER! It isn't obnoxiously late and its a little longer than normalXD And to avoid some confusion I must warn you that a lot of my references are going to come from the manga from here out. I read it more than i watched it. **

**Disclaimer (since i don't think I've done one since the first chapter): I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. The author does... the author even owns some of the dialouge in this chapter... I borrowed if for purposes of plot XD**

**SolitaryNyght: ^_^ I do hope it backfires on Kurama, but we shall see and thank you**

**TrunksgirlBlaze27: THANK YOU AGAIN for showing me my very silly mistake. And the ring IS a Claddagh. ^.^ its reasons shall be seen later. **

**And now ON WITH THE SHOW!**

* * *

Tay spent the better part of the next week with Ms. Minamino. Kurama, or Shuichi as she called him around his mother, visited for the first few days but stopped after that. Tay was worried but did her best to keep Kurama's mother happy while he was gone.

They spent most of the time talking about the United States. It turned out the Shiori was very interested in the states. Tay did her best to remember all her history lessons, while Shiori would in turn explain to Tay many of the customs of Japan. She even let slip some stories of Kurama's childhood, though funny and embarrassing ones were few and far between. However, Tay wasn't surprised that the serious Kurama had been a serious child. One story that Tay never got out of Shiori was the one behind the scars up and down her arms. Try as she might, Tay couldn't get Shiori to budge on that one.

But because she wasn't family, Tay was only allowed in during visiting hours. Outside of visiting hours at the hospital, Tay explored the city and, because she had no place to stay, Shiori allowed her to stay at her home until she could find her sister.

As the week passed, Shiori's condition got worse and worse. Whenever Tay would ask the doctors about it they would avoid the question. From what she could gather, Shiori wasn't on track to getting any better. All Tay could do was watch as she deteriorated while her son was nowhere to be seen. All the while, Shiori put on her best face for her boyfriend whenever he came to visit.

"He's the president of the company where I work," Shiori had answered when Tay asked about him earlier that week. It turned out the two had been seeing each other for a while before the illness set in. Tay was glad Shiori had someone loving who was there while her son was still off doing whatever.

At the end of the week, during one of Shiori's better moments, Kurama finally showed up. Tay was sitting in the window while Shiori was asleep. A knock on the door brought her to consciousness while Tay called for the visitor to come in. The visitor was Kurama and with him came a boy about the same age. The boy had slicked back, black hair, a bandage over one cheek, and bruises in the process of healing all over like he'd recently been in a fight.

'He looks about as confused as I first was,' observed Tay as she watched the boy look between Kurama and Shiori.

"Oh," said Shiori, shaking herself awake as she sat up. "It's so rare to see you bring a friend over …besides Tay of course."

Kurama hurried to her side. "You should just lie down mother."

"I'm feeling better today." Shiori tried her best to put on a smile.

"Today yeah," Tay mumbled to herself. The boy that came with Kurama just looked at Tay with a questioning glance. Tay just shook her head and motioned for him to keep watching Kurama and his mother.

"I'll peel you some apples," Kurama continued as he cared for his mother.

"Don't bother," Shiori said with a sigh, "I don't have an appetite today."

"She really won't eat it Kurama. I've been trying to get her to eat it all day." Tay jumped down from the window sill, walked over and sat on the bed.

"Mother, if you don't eat something healthy you'll never recover." Kurama just continued to peel the apples.

Tay watched Shiori as she smiled up at her son. "Okay, okay. You are so strict Shuichi." She looked on curiously as Shiori ate the bits of apple her son handed to her. Mother and son shared their moment until Shiori finally fell back to sleep. The three were quiet as the left the room passing Shiori's boyfriend in the hall.

Tay and the boy that came with Kurama followed him to the roof. It seemed the time for explanations had come.

Kurama walked over to the railing and looked out beyond the city. Before Tay or the black haired boy could say anything, Kurama began his tale.

"Shuichi is my alias in the human worlds. And she's my foster mother, my foster father died not too long ago."

"Your background resembles some famous pop-star," commented the boy.

"Kurama, I hate to interrupt, but who is the smart mouth who tagged along with you?" Tay asked still thoroughly confused as to why this boy came along.

"My apologies Tay, this is Yusuke Urameshi. Yusuke, this is Tay."

Yusuke seemed in a hurry as he said, "Thanks for the unneeded introductions, now continue with the explanations man!" Tay just chuckled at Yusuke's impatience and looked toward Kurama as he continued his story.

"Well, the two of them had been taking care of me for fifteen years, yet I've been hiding the truth. My true form is a fox demon. I was a highly skilled thief up until 15 years ago. It was then that I was hunted down by a skilled assassin and injured. I escaped into the human world in spirit form until I found the body of a still forming fetus. My only option for survival, as injured as I was, was to lay dormant inside the fetus. If I could bear it for the next 10 years, I would be fully recovered and able to leave Shiori's sight forever."

As Kurama paused in his story, Tay interrupted. "So you don't just know a lot about demons, you are one?"

'Yes Tay, I am. That's how your sister knew she could believe my answers to her questions."

As Tay processed what he said, Yusuke started to ask the next question on Tay's mind, "But why did you st-"

"Did you see the wounds on her hands?" Kurama cut in.

"Yes, they looked like scars to me," Yusuke replied.

"It was because of those scars six years ago that I've stayed. I was being careless. I had been reaching for something on a higher cabinet, dropped some plates and almost fell backwards onto them. Shiori caught me, putting her arms between me and the plates, causing those wounds. After the bandages were removed, the scars still remained. I've tried many times to leave, but her smile, and those scars still hound me. It's because of that that I am unable to leave home. Even though I am a demon, she has brought me the closest to loving another being more than myself."

Kurama looked at Tay apologetically, the back toward Yusuke before continuing. "She won't last another month, so I want to use this mirror to save her. It's my only wish. Afterwards I'll return it to you."

Tay looked between the two of them. She was obviously the only one who didn't know the secret of this mirror, so she was confused as to how it was going to save Shiori. However, the look on Kurama's face told Tay that whatever the mirror could do, Shiori would defiantly not approve.

Yusuke continued. "If you give yourself up, won't she be very lonely?"

"It doesn't matter," Kurama said with a sigh. "She has a loving boyfriend now. She'll be happier without me around."

"Wait a second Kurama," Tay interrupted, stepping between the two boys as their conversation got more intense. "Kurama, whatever you're planning to do, I'm pretty sure it sounds extremely stupid and that Shiori would defiantly object. And any way, how is a mirror going to save Shiori when modern medicine can't?" Tay was starting to get a little suspicious as his story started unfolding.

"The mirror is an artifact from the spirit world. It can grant its holder one wish," Kurama explained. Yusuke interrupted with a question of his own. "Why are you telling us all this?"

"Perhaps I needed someone to listen to my regrets. After all, both of you believed me." Before Kurama could continue, the company president ran onto the roof.

"Shuichi! There you are." He paused for the slightest moment to catch his breath before continuing. 'He must have run all the way here from Shiori's room,' thought Tay as the man continued.

"Hurry up downstairs! Ms. Shiori is-" was all the man got out before Kurama bolted down to her room, with Tay and Yusuke close behind. There was a doctor outside her door who looked like he had been waiting for Kurama, but was surprised to see the other two so close behind.

"Her illness suddenly got worse," the doctor explained. "Frankly speaking, she's in an unstable state right now. Tonight will be critical. I've tried my best." With that the doctor walked away, leaving Kurama and Shiori's boyfriend looking astonished. Suddenly Kurama took off down the hall.

"I have to do it now!" Kurama exclaimed.

"You're going to use the mirror?" both Yusuke and Tay asked.

Yusuke glanced at Tay before continuing. "I heard you have to give up something in order for the thing to grant your wish. Do you know what?"

Kurama looked away, refusing to meet their eyes. "Yes… It's life."

Kurama reached for the roof door and pushed it open. Yusuke and Kurama stepped out onto the roof while Tay stood at the door. Kurama placed down the mirror before finishing his explanation to Yusuke.

"This is a mirror which fulfills your wish but at the same time takes your life. Therefore it's known as the dark mirror." Kurama's eyes finally met Tay's.

"So you weren't planning on explaining anything were you?" Tay glared at Kurama.

"Tay, I was, until Shiori's condition worsened. The mirror can only be used at a full moon and had I another month I would explain it to you. But I have to save my mother," Kurama pleaded.

Tay glared a few moments more before relenting. "Do what you must Kurama. But think about what Shiori would really want." Tay watched from the door as Kurama was about to throw his life away.

"Oh dark mirror, accept the moonlight and awaken. Reveal you strength that will fulfill my wish reflected on your surface." With those final words, the mirror glowed with life and began to speak.

"_The happiness of the woman_," it began, showing a smiling Shiori with the company president, "_Is this your wish?_"

Without hesitation Kurama answered, "Yes."

"HEY! Are you sure about this? If she lives and you die, won't it be meaningless?" Yusuke demanded. Tay was just as confused but realized it was Kurama's choice to make.

Kurama looked at Yusuke, then at Tay. Tay could see that Kurama was at peace with his decision. It was obvious he thought that this was the only way to do this.

"_Is this really your wish? Sacrificing your life for someone else's happiness?" _the mirror asked.

Kurama smiled. "I've been deceiving her for 15 years. If I can pardon myself by doing this…," he trailed off, leaving Tay and Yusuke to finish the sentence.

"_Very well! I shall grant your wish!" _Kurama reached down and as soon as his fingers made contact with the mirror, there was a flash of light and what seemed like lightning engulfed Kurama. Tay averted her eyes. If Kurama was about to die she wasn't going to watch.

All of a sudden she heard Kurama exclaim, "What are you doing?" Tay turned back toward the mirror and saw Yusuke engulfed in the same lightning as Kurama.

"Hey, mirror. Take part of my life instead. That way you can still fulfill his wish without taking all his life right?" Tay looked on incredulously. She couldn't believe a complete stranger was willing to throw away his life for someone. He was either really brave…or really stupid.

"Are you crazy?" Apparently Kurama shared the same sentiments as Tay.

Yusuke looked over at Kurama with determination on his face. "Have you ever seen a mother cry over your death? It would be the ultimate unpardonable act to cause that." As he said that, a bright light and a large bang came out of the mirror. Tay could barely see as Kurama and Yusuke were thrown away from the mirror. After the flash died down, she ran over to the both of them to check that they were still alive. Upon confirming life, Tay let out a sigh of relief. So the idiot actually did the right thing. She then glanced over at the mirror.

Tay walked over to it and picked it up. It wasn't as terrifying when it was in her hand as Tay had thought.

"_Girl, your friend over there is lucky. If all wishers were like him, I wouldn't have to be called the dark mirror." _The voice of the mirror seemed somewhat comforted by that thought. "_And another thing girl…watch your back. There are those who would wish to use you and your gift as they do mine." _The mirror drifted off toward the end, as though falling asleep.

"What an odd thing to say," murmured Tay as she walked back over to the unmoving boys.


	7. Chapter 7

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**Hello people of fanfiction! I'm back! Oh the speed in which I write XD Here is the next chapter ^_^ Thank you to TrunksgirlBlaze27 and AlyssaRose369 for the reviews, even if alyssa did spam me ^_^ I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho and here is the chapter!**

* * *

"Ugh…" moaned the boys as they came to. Kurama sat up and wiggled his fingers as if testing to make sure he was living.

"I'm alive…Then my mother!" Kurama sped off down to Shiori's room to check on her, leaving Tay on the roof top with Yusuke. Tay moved over and crouched down next to the black-haired boy.

"So what's your story?" Tay asked poking Yusuke on the forehead. "How do you know Kurama?"

Yusuke stared at her. "I could ask you the same question."

"Well I asked first, so spill."

He paused for a moment before sighing in defeat and starting. "The short of it is, one, I'm a spirit detective who hunts down demons who do bad stuff in the human world. Two, Kurama stole an artifact from the spirit world King along with two others. Three, I was sent to hunt the three of them down." Somehow he managed to say all that in one breath.

Tay all the while was playing with the mirror as she listened to his abridged tale. After he finally took a breath, he seemed to realize that it wasn't were they had left it. As his face slowly showed his shock, Tay got up and placed it at his feet. "I don't know whether what you did was stupid or kind, but I know Kurama appreciated it. Keep that thing safe."

Tay started to walk away but Yusuke stopped her. "You never told me how you know him. It's pretty sketch knowing him after what he's done if you know what I mean." Yusuke stood up and crossed his arms with a smirk.

Tay sighed and turned around. "It's because of my sister." She hung her head, deep in thought. "Kurama has some information that might help me find her."

Yusuke paused. "If the information is coming from a demon it has to be bad. Why ask Kurama and not let the police look for her?"

Tay looked up with a sad smile and near tears in her eyes. "Cause Kurama was the last person to see her before she apparently died."

Yusuke looked shocked. "Well if she's dead why don't you talk to Koenma. He's the son of the king of the Spirit world. Demon boy can probably ask some questions when I take him in."

Tay looked at Yusuke speechless. "King…..of the spirit world?" She was a bit beyond belief at this point. "So what, does he keep records or something?" Tay threw up her hands and started walking toward the door. "Can he tell me everything about her and the exact place of her death?" She nearly shouted over her shoulder.

"Yeah, probably. His office is covered in paperwork. Stacks of it, taller than he is." Yusuke chuckled to himself, like he was laughing at some private joke.

Tay gave a quick smile before saying good-bye to Yusuke. "Thank you Yusuke, for this fantastic bit information. I now have a fox demon to interrogate." She gave a quick wave as she ran down the stairs, hoping to catch Kurama before he left the hospital.

She reached Shiori's room a few moments later. Panting, she opened to door only to see the room empty of the red head she was looking for. "Ah Tay, Shiori has passed through the critical period. It seems as though she is going to be just fine." Shiori's boyfriend gave a huge smile, obviously happy at this.

"That…is…fantastic…" Tay huffed out. Running, apparently, was not her strong suit. Taking a deep breath, she got out a full sentence. "Do you know where Shuichi went?"

"Ah, I believe he said something about the library to catch up on his work. He just left."

Before he could get out another word, Tay shouted a hasty "Thank you!" before running down to the hospital entrance. Sliding around the final corner she saw a flash of red walk out the doors.

"KURAMA!" As soon as she reached outside, she looked around for the unmistakable head of hair. As easy to find as his hair was, he had just disappeared into the crowd on the side walk. With a sigh, she walked back to the Minamino household, realizing Kurama didn't want to deal with her problem just yet, after nearly losing his mother. 'I can respect that, to an extent. But fox boy better give me some answers soon,' Tay thought.

Apparently Kurama was better at evading things than she thought. For two days, she heard and saw nothing of him. When she asked Shiori, all she was told was that he was staying with a friend.

'The sneaky little demon's got to be afraid to talk to me,' was the obvious thought running through Tay's mind.

Tay's only entertainment throughout those two days was when she ran into Yusuke in the streets. According to Yusuke, he was the biggest, badest, most feared thug in the city. Tay had yet to see any demonstration of these fighting abilities. Every time he'd talk about one of the many fights he'd won, Tay would just laugh and say, "Yeah, yeah. I'll be sure to be around next time, to make sure you aren't just all talk."

On the third day since the incident with the mirror, Tay was wondering through the streets with no particular destination in mind. As much as Tay loved talking with Shiori, who had moved back in since her recovery, she didn't want to impose herself. As she was walking, she came upon a pair of people talking at a gate. Trying not to interrupt, Tay made to go around them, but was stopped when she heard her name.

"Tay!" She looked up.

"Yusuke?" She saw the black haired thug standing outside what looked to be a school. "Are you supposed to be in school right now?"

"Yeah," he answered, "but we have a lead with Hiei." When he said we, Tay finally noticed his companion. She was a girl of average height, in everyday clothes. But the most striking part about her was her bright blue hair.

"He's taken Yusuke's friend," she said, turning toward Tay. The girl gave a look of recognition before hiding behind Yusuke.

Tay stood gaping at the girl for a few moments before she finally found her voice. "Y-y-you!" The blue haired woman squeaked behind Yusuke.

"Yusuke," Tay began with controlled fury. "Why are you hanging out with a spirit guide?"

"Umm Botan helps me out with the whole detective thing," Yusuke stated before walking down the street with Botan using him as a wall between her and Tay. "Look Tay, I can see you have a beef with her but right now I have bigger fish to fry. That bastard Hiei has taken Keiko and I'm gonna kick his ass for it." He stormed off. When he looked back he was surprised to see her still walking with them.

"What?" Tay asked with a smirk. "I did say I was coming to your next fight didn't I?" Yusuke gave her a wicked grin as the three of them headed off toward the docks.

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The large space in the warehouse echoed with their footsteps as they walked in. There were boxes, crates and wires all around but no sign of the two people Yusuke was looking for. 'Now that I think about it I don't even know what these two look like,' crossed Tay's mind.

"Come out Hiei! Hand Keiko over you asshole!" Yusuke shouted into the warehouse. As his shouts echoed throughout the warehouse, they heard footsteps coming toward them. Tay looked up and saw a crowd of people, all with blank looks on their faces. With a couple of well placed punches, Yusuke pushed back the oncoming crowd. "Get lost, shrimps!"

"There's no need to be so vicious on them, Yusuke. They're just normal people," observed Tay. Botan looked at her surprised.

"She's right," she chipped in. "They're just being controlled. But to control that many people at once…could Hiei be an owner of a Jagan eye?"

"A Ja-what?" asked a very confused Tay.

"A Jagan eye," came a voice from the shadows. "It allows the user to control lower class demons and humans." The owner of the voice walked forward. "The spirit world did well to choose a strong spirit user." He was a short guy with black hair that added a few inches. He had on a white head band and a grotesque looking sword at his side. As he walked forward, two glassy-eyed people followed closely, holding an unconscious girl between the two of them. She was wearing the same uniform as Botan.

'So this is Keiko. That makes the shorty with the sword Hiei,' thought Tay. After thinking that, she received an ugly glare from Hiei before he continued.

"The spirit king makes some odd choices in his detectives. An idiot, a reaper and someone with no spirit energy what so ever. Ah, well, who cares? Now hand over the artifacts." Tay tried to process all he had said. 'The idiot is obviously Yusuke. The reaper is defiantly Botan. Then…I have no spirit energy?' This revelation left Tay highly confused. 'Fox boy has some serious explaining to do when I get my hands on him.'

"Shut up moron! Here they are. Now hand over Keiko!" He tossed down the mirror and some sort of ball. Tay come back to reality and was ready to bite Yusuke's head off.

"You nearly died for that mirror! And you're just handing it over?" Tay exclaimed.

"It's either that or I lose Keiko, Tay. I have to," Yusuke replied. But before he turned back to yell at Hiei some more, he winked.

'Sneaky has a trick up his sleeve,' thought Tay.

"Good! If you don't keep to the rules, it wouldn't be any fun." Hiei gave an evil grin as he reached for the mirror and the ball. Suddenly laughter echoed off the walls. Hiei, Tay and Botan all turned to Yusuke to see him laughing.

"Yusuke, what in heaven's name is so funny?" questioned a bewildered Tay. Botan looked like she agreed. 'Maybe Yusuke is more of an idiot than we thought.'

"Well now that I've got Keiko back, there's nothing keeping me from beating the crap out of this guy and getting the stuff back." After he finished he let out a small giggle before getting serious. All of a sudden he lunged after Hiei, fist cocked and ready to make contact with Hiei's face. And it would have met Hiei's face, if he hadn't blurred out mere seconds before Yusuke's punch met.

"Vanished? What the-?" Yusuke looked around trying to find the short demon.

"Yusuke, to your left!" Tay shouted after seeing Hiei stop in that direction.

"Vanished? I was merely strolling. What slow speed." Hiei stood with his hands in his pockets, nearly laughing a Yusuke's efforts. "You might have her body but she'll belong to me soon enough. Look at her forehead if you want to see something really interesting." The three looked down at Keiko to see a small line across her forehead.

"This wound is similar to Hiei's eye…no!" Botan exclaimed.

"It's not a wound," observed Tay. "It _IS _an eye! And it's opening!"

"He must have hit her with the sword," said Botan as she shoved Yusuke to the side. She placed her hand over the eye and energy began pouring from her hand to the eye. As this happened, Tay noticed the eye begin to close. "If this eye opens all the way, Keiko will become a demon."


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, here be chapter 8 ^_^ I actually had this done a while ago, but I wanted to space things out. But here it be. And I hope no one was confused by the summary change.. I apologise if you were.**

**And I own nothing of Yu Yu Hakusho...just my own character ^_^ and thank you to AlyssaRose369 for beta-ing EVERYTHING!**

**Last time:**

_**"If this eye opens all the way, Keiko will become a demon."**_

"And not a very smart one either," added Hiei with a smirk. "And I see you have a very capable companion with you. But how long will she be able to hold up while neutralizing the girl? I can feel her power draining rapidly."

Tay shivered as she surveyed the scene in front of her. Hiei and Yusuke were having a stare down while Botan was sweating from the effort of keeping Keiko's third eye closed. To Tay it felt as if the temperature in the warehouse had dropped several degrees.

"He's right. I don't think I'll be able to hold this up much longer," Botan said through gritted teeth.

Tay lowered herself down to the floor, sat against a crate and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Y-Y-Yusuke…h-h-hurry …u-u-p," she chattered.

Yusuke spared a glance toward her and then Botan before giving all his focus to Hiei. "The antidote is between the blade and hilt of this sword," Hiei said, showing off the grotesque blade. "She won't survive unless she takes it. And it seems like your other friend doesn't have much time either. But you'll never be able to snatch it from me," he gloated.

Before Hiei could comprehend what was happening, Yusuke was in his face, throwing a punch that knocked him across the warehouse. "You matched my speed," Hiei exclaimed in disbelief. "You're a completely different person than before."

"You're beyond redemption," said Yusuke, his face without emotion. "I'll tear you to shreds."

Hiei wiped blood off his face from the last blow. "I see. You're the type whose power increases when his friends are in danger. I hate your kind of human the most."

Hiei stood up. "You were careless to not grab the sword when you had the chance. You won't get that chance again; I'll make sure of it." He showed off the sword that he claimed Yusuke wouldn't retrieve. "That girl's third eye is opening and there is no way to stop the demonizing. And whatever's wrong with the shivering girl, she's not gonna make it much longer."

"Are you done with your crap yet?" interjected Yusuke.

For a moment, Hiei was left speechless. Then, when he realized he had been insulted, he exclaimed, "Don't look down on me! Try and follow my speed!" Then, Hiei started making blurs around Yusuke, as fast as he was going. As Yusuke tried to keep up with him, Hiei suddenly called from behind him, "Here!"

The two made eye contact as Hiei dove toward Yusuke for the kill. With yet another well place punch, Hiei was sent flying. "Is jumping around all you do, ya little jerk?" asked Yusuke. As Hiei grunted on the ground, Yusuke continued. "You're just a little bug without your eye. I've got no time to waste on you!"

Hiei pushed himself off the ground. With a shake of his head he said, "I can't believe I've been forced to transform by a mere human." He tore off his coat and exclaimed, "You will fear me!" With a flex of his muscles, Hiei revealed his true demon form. Through her shivering, Tay saw Hiei transform from the short, human looking demon to a green form with eyes covering his whole body. A glow seemed to be coming from his entire body, and to Tay, the temperature dropped yet again. This time, she was actually seeing her breath.

With Hiei's transformation, Botan struggled even more to control Keiko's growing third eye. The energy coming of the two of them created a bright glow that caught even Yusuke's attention.

"What's going on over there?" exclaimed Yusuke.

Hiei chuckled darkly. "Soon your girlfriend will be a demon and your assistant will be dead. The other girl seems like she's going turn into an ice block."

"Keiko! Botan! Tay!" exclaimed Yusuke, worry laced in his voice.

"Now," said Hiei with a clench of his fists "is not the time to be worrying about others." Hiei used his speed and caught Yusuke by surprise as he punched him in the face. Tay could hardly keep up as Hiei repeatedly punched Yusuke, forcing him back until he used his powers to bind Yusuke with some kind of energy rope.

"With my Jagan curse, you won't be able to escape." Tay watched as Yusuke hung limply in the energy bands. While he was strung up, Hiei took the opportunity to beat on Yusuke, as though paying him back for all the surprise punches. Suddenly, he stopped, like he had decided Yusuke had received enough pay back.

"Now do you understand the difference in our powers?" Hiei questioned the beaten boy as he walked back to grab the sword. "Though, for a human, your powers aren't half bad. To show my respect, I'll give you a clean death." Here, Hiei raised the sword, poised to strike. "Now die!" he exclaimed as he ran forward to kill Yusuke.

Yusuke closed his eye, prepared for the sword to make contact. He kept his eyes shut even when it didn't slice through his body.

"K-k-kur-r-rama!" Tay tried to yell to Yusuke through her chattering teeth. Though, it seemed he got the message when he looked up to see the red head with a sword running through his stomach.

"Kurama? What is the meaning of this?" demanded Hiei. To answer, Kurama ran his hand down the sword and threw the blood from the resulting injury at Hiei's third eye. "Gah! My eye," cried Hiei, backing away from Kurama and leaving the sword in his stomach.

The energy bands binding Yusuke suddenly disappeared. "I'm free!" he said with surprise. Then, realizing he had an injured friend beside him, he stood up and turned toward Kurama.

"Hiei's true power lies in the Jagan on his forehead. The others are merely decorations and distractions." Kurama met Yusuke's eyes with a purpose. "I've come to repay my debt. I'm only alive because of you." Kurama smiled at Yusuke. "You finish Hiei before his Jagan recovers. I'll do what I can to keep the girl from transforming." Kurama did his best to stand up with his injury.

"Careful Kurama," said Yusuke.

"Don't worry about me. I'm a demon remember." With a final smile toward Yusuke, Kurama limped toward Keiko and Botan.

"K-k-kur-r-rama!" called Tay. The fox demon turned toward the voice. What he saw was the shivering form the usually strong girl. A look of surprise crossed the usually stoic face of the boy.

"Tay? What are you doing here?" inquired the injured Kurama.

"N-n-not now. T-t-take me t-to Bot-tan." The overly cold girl tried to pull herself up from her position against the crates, but her shivering forced her back on the ground. Kurama gave her a curious look before slowly making his way to her. He pulled her up and slung her arm over his shoulders. The two of them slowly walked to where Botan was losing her battle against Keiko's third eye.

When Botan heard footsteps, she spared a glance toward the noise. What she saw took her by surprise. There was the red-haired thief, with one arm on his stomach wound and the other around the waist of the shivering Tay. Tay, who was shivering so hard she had difficulty walking, had her left arm slung over Kurama's shoulders and her right arm hugged tight to her own stomach trying to keep herself warm.

"Tay, you're going to have to sit now," said Kurama, gently placing Tay against a crate. He shuffled over to Keiko and Botan and gently crouched down beside the pair. He put his hand beside Botan's and began mimicking Botan's energies until he matched what she was trying to do.

Botan, knowing Keiko was in good hands, collapsed against the nearest crate with a huff. "That was hard work." She glanced at Kurama, noticing the amount of energy he was using to keep the eye closed had lessoned. Kurama made eye contact with Botan, and then motioned his head in the direction of the shaking girl.

"I s-s-saw that K-k-kuram-ma. Exp-p-plain lat-t-ter. Sav-ve K-k-keik-k-ko now!" The spirit guide and the injured demon looked at the freezing girl. The chattering of Tay's teeth increased her stutter but she still got her point across. Botan and Kurama glanced at each other before Kurama brought all his attention back on Keiko.

With the lack of conversation between the three of them, the fighting and banter between Yusuke and Hiei could be heard.

"I'll send you on your way!" exclaimed what sounded to be the short demon. That was shortly followed by a shout from Yusuke.

"I'm going to send _you _on _your_ way!" exclaimed Yusuke. After hearing that, the three heard a shot of some sort and the banter turned from insults by both parties, to gloating on Hiei's part. Suddenly, the shattering of glass could be heard.

"GAH!" came over the crates a shout and then the sound of knees slamming to the ground. "What the?" There was a pause. "The dark mirror?"

"Well that would explain the shattered glass," said Botan.

"You must have calculated exactly how I would dodge that when you shot," came Hiei's voice.

"It's called watching your opponent," replied Yusuke's voice. Then there was a thud. 'More than likely Hiei falling,' thought Tay.

A few minutes later Yusuke came around the corner with the sword in hand. He placed it carefully next to Botan, who then pulled out the antidote. Kurama removed his hand and Botan quickly dropped some of the liquid into Keiko's mouth. They all quietly watched as the third eye closed itself and disappeared fully from Keiko's face.

Botan, Yusuke and Kurama all sighed in relief. "Hey, Kurama thanks for your help back there. Are you alright, man?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I missed the vital organs at least." Kurama gave a light chuckle before rethinking because of his wound.

"You're unbelievable Yusuke. Why didn't you tell me the Spirit Gun could bounce off mirrors like that? How'd you come up with that strategy?" questioned Botan.

Yusuke gave his goofy grin. "I didn't know 'till about 10 minutes ago. And that wasn't any strategy. We call it 'dumb luck'." His grin got bigger as he continued to explain. "I knew I wouldn't be able to hit him because of his speed, so I figured hitting him from behind would be the only way to do it." At this point, Botan looked thoroughly confused.

"I first thought about it when I saw the Dark Mirror, and I thought that the Spirit Gun might reflect like light. So I figured 'Why not?'" he finished with a shrug.

Botan looked infuriated. "You risked our lives on a might? What would you have done if hadn't reflected?"

Yusuke thought for a moment before plainly replying, "Get chopped into pieces, I guess."

The confused look crossed Botan's face yet again as Kurama chortled. "All this time we've been thinking you are a brilliant strategist. Turns out you're just a lucky fool."

Now it was Yusuke's turn to sport the confused look. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean exactly what I said," replied Kurama with an amused look.

"Hooray, Yusuke's an idiot," interrupted Tay. Her stuttering had all but stopped but her shivering hadn't halted and her teeth were still chattering. "Would somebody lik-ke to explain why I'm freezing my butt off over here?"

Kurama and Botan shared a knowing look. "Yusuke, why don't we take Keiko home? We certainly don't want her waking up here." Yusuke nodded as he picked up Keiko and headed out of the warehouse. When he reached to door, he turned back to Kurama and Tay.

"Take care of her Kurama. Otherwise I'm gonna beat your ass." Yusuke smirked and walked out.

Kurama shook his head at Yusuke's threat and faced back to Tay. The girl was still shivering. Kurama pulled a bag out of pocket and took out some powder. "Sorry about this Tay."

"K-kurama, what are yo-" She was interrupted as he blew the powder into her face. As soon as she inhaled, all she saw was black.

Kurama did his best to pick up the sleeping girl. As he stood up, his injury gave a twinge but otherwise he had no problems. He left the warehouse with Tay in his arms. Kurama left the dock and made his way to the nearest park. When they arrived, he placed Tay down on a bench and pulled out his communicator.

"Kurama, this is a surprise. What do you need?" asked the toddler on the screen. "And why is there a girl sleeping on the bench behind you?"

Kurama narrowed his eyes at his baby-faced boss. "Koenma, I need a portal. We need to talk."

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**XD So THAR SHE BLOWS! If there was any confusions, that is ok. I will be explained for the most within the next couple of chapters :) thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello people! Sorry for the long wait! My beta actually has a life so I was patiently waiting for her to have some free time XD So here is chapter 9, a minor accomplishment in and of itself! chapter 10 will be a fantastic celebration!...when it comes around.^_^ Now ON WITH THE SHOW!**

**Disclaimer: I never have and never will own anything beyond my own imagination...**

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"We need to talk."

A portal opened next to the park bench. The swirling vortex slightly surprised Kurama, though his face never betrayed it. He hadn't expected Koenma to be so prompt. The red-head carried Tay through the portal, directly into Koenma's office. The toddler's look was directed to the unconscious girl in Kurama's arms.

"I would ask why Tay was with you _and_ unconscious, but I'm not sure I want to know. Just set her down over there," Koenma directed, motioning toward the couch against the back wall. Kurama walked over and gently placed her down. Then, he turned to Koenma, expecting answers to his obvious questions. After a few moments of silence between the two, he decided to speak first.

"Koenma, you have not told me everything when it comes to these sisters. It would seem that this one needs more assistance than the other."

"Kurama, I wanted you to keep track of Cara because I wanted prying eyes away from Tay. Cara is the more…..subtle of the two, if you couldn't already tell."

"How can Cara be subtle when she releases energy with no control? And how can Tay even attempt to hide herself when she knows nothing of her powers? From what I've seen since she arrived in Japan, she is a magnet to trouble."

Koenma gave a sigh and popped his pacifier out of his mouth. "That's because she doesn't have her sister to keep her I check. The opposite effects their powers have kept their powers from coming out at all."

"Opposite effects…" repeated a surprisingly puzzled Kurama.

"If you recall the event with Latham and the library…." Koenma trailed off, leaving Kurama to come to his own conclusions.

"I remember," Kurama finally responded. "His illusion was given too much energy and exploded." Koenma could see the wheels in Kurama's head turning. "Cara gives off energy. Do you mean to tell me, that if they were to keep each other in check, Tay would then absorb energy?"

The toddler nodded. "That's exactly what I mean."

"Koenma, that fact makes her a dangerous variable. Internalizers have not been in recorded history for many hundreds of years. In the wrong hands, she could be used to throw off the balance of the world."

"I know," replied Koenma gravely. "That's why I've given Genkai instructions to seal off her abilities if it becomes necessary."

Kurama spared a glance toward the unconscious girl before confronting the prince of the spirit world. "What should I tell her, then? She observes more than she lets on. She already knows that there's something I am keeping from her."

"That's why I want her at Genkai's place. Genkai, master of deflection and the master of spirit energy might be able to help Tay master her lack of energy." Koenma sighed. "Kurama, if you do this, I'll knock off time from your probation."

Kurama contemplated the offer before replying, "Fine. You do know, however, that this girl is going to be more trouble to all of us than she is worth." Kurama picked up Tay and walked to the doors before Koenma could say another word. He stopped before the door and turned back to the prince of the Spirit World. "If you find any information about the demons chasing Cara, let me know. Tay deserves as much."

Koenma nodded in response and opened a portal for them to Genkai's temple. Kurama stepped through without another look back. The other side of the portal let out at the bottom of a tall set of stairs leading to a temple. He looked down at Tay only to see the dark blue eyes looking back at him.

"Put me down. Now." The red-head set the girl on her feet and kept an arm on her shoulder while she steadied herself.

"How long have you been awake?" inquired Kurama.

"Concious would be a better word, but long enough to know you're going to successfully avoid my questions yet again." Tay gave a frustrated sigh. "Just get out of here Kurama. I can tell where I can find Genkai," she said pointing at the temple at the top of the flight of stairs.

"Very well Tay. Just try not to get yourself injured. Yusuke promised to 'kick my ass'," he stated in his awkwardly formal voice, "if you did." He turned and walked down a path Tay assumed led to civilization.

"Kurama," Tay called out. The red-head turned around. "Answer me one question." Kurama nodded. "What's an internalizer?"

With a shrug, he answered. "You are."

'Gah! That guy is infuriating.' With a muster of her courage, Tay pivoted and started the trek up the stairs. The long climb left her time to think about what might happen with this Genkai. Who was this mysterious person? Why did Tay not have any energy? The short guy who kidnapped Keiko had said something to that effect. 'Hiei I think his name was.' And what the heck was an internalizer?

Before she knew it, Tay was in front of the large temple doors. She took a deep breath and gave the doors a great heave. They swung slowly back and revealed an open square, surrounded by large buildings. Tay was awed by the architecture and slowly turned, taking in all the buildings.

"Hey! What do you want, girl?" Tay was interrupted from her awe by a raspy voice coming from behind her. She turned to see a short, older woman with faded pink hair and a powerful presence.

"Well from what I heard, Koenma wanted you to help me master something or another."

"Oh, so you're the one," Genkai mumbled as she turned on her heels and walked into the main building. Tay, having nothing with her and not knowing what to do, just stayed where she was. "Well don't stand there gawking," echoed Genkai's voice from inside the hall. "I haven't got all day." Tay raced up the wooden stairs to catch up with the shorter woman.

The next few minutes were a flurry of motion. Tay did her best to keep up with Genkai as she was shown the more important rooms of the temple. Living quarters, followed by the kitchen, the training room, then the game room. It was hard for Tay to believe that all this was in one building. Before she knew it, they had reached the back doors. Because they were open, Tay could see the vast expanses of forest behind the temple. Just standing near it, Tay felt a chill coming over her.

"This forest is off limits to you. It's home to many demons of varying strengths that I have no control over." Before Tay could argue, Genkai continued. "Since you have no control over your abilities, you will remain inside this building.

"In a month, I am hosting a tournament to find an apprentice. If you haven't mastered them by then, I'm locking you in a room until the tournament is done."

"Why?" asked Tay quickly, before she could be cut off again.

Genkai gave her a pointed look before addressing the question. "It's going to be full of high, spirit energy fighters, you numbskull. If one lower level demon can turn you into a stuttering ice cube, imaging what 20 people of three times the energy level would do."

"Oh," was Tay's only reply.

"Now go get ready and meet me in the training room. We start training in five minutes."

"How am I supposed to get ready when I don't have anything to get ready with….at all…?"

"Koenma's ogre dropped off some things earlier. They're in your room. And now you have four minutes."

Tay ran off to the living quarters trying to remember which one Genkai said was hers. It took her three tries to remember but she finally found the room with her bag on the bed. She dug through her stuff and threw on some workout clothes. When she was done, Tay ran back to the training room. Genkai was standing in the middle of a large, padded room. Obviously this room was made for people to take a beating in.

"Get in here girl. We have work to do."

Genkai spent the rest of the day discovering Tay's stamina level (relatively high), what fighting skills Tay had (none), and what control she had over her abilities (none again). By the end of the day Tay was completely sore, and was limping out of the training room.

"Be ready by seven tomorrow morning!" Genkai called after her.

'Seven! This old woman's crazy.' Tay limped down the route she had taking earlier that morning, hoping she was headed in the right direction. Without changing or shower, Tay threw herself on her bed and fell right asleep.

* * *

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Tay shot up and started blindly reaching for whatever was making the noise. When her fingers came in contact with the recognizable shape of an alarm clock, she pounded on it until the noise stopped. When she opened her eyes, she saw little light coming through the blinds and realized she was supposed to be ready for training in twenty minutes. Tay quickly hopped into the shower and threw on some loose workout clothes before running to the kitchen for a quick breakfast. She then pounded down the hall until she came back to the beating room. Ready for another day, she walked into the training room with a quick look around.

Suddenly, Tay heard a noise from behind her. She turned to see Genkai running straight at her. It was all Tay could do to try and dodge the punches and kicks that the older woman threw at her in rapid succession. Most of them landed, though she managed to actually dodge a few. When Tay was tripping over herself and could barely breathe, Genkai relented on her assault.

"What the heck was that about?" Tay got out when she could finally breathe. "I thought we figured this out yesterday….I CAN'T FIGHT!"

"Your reactions are faster from yesterday. I got less hits this time."

Tay still looked confused. "What is one day going to do? I'm still gonna be feeling all those you did get tomorrow," she retorted, rubbing her sore arm. Genkai gave her a sharp look for the smart remark.

"So you really are an internalizer," said Genkai, as if to herself. Too bad Tay heard her.

"A what?" questioned Tay.

"An internalizer. Did the fool tell you anything?" Taking Tay's shrug as a no, Genkai continued. "An internalizer: someone or something who takes the energies of others and claims them as their own. But it comes at a price." Genkai looked directly at Tay as if telling Tay it was about her. "There is always a physical side-affect that internalizers must deal with."

"So like me turning into a popsicle the other day, during Yusuke's fight with the short dude."

"Yes," came Genkai's short reply.

"But what does that have to do with me being slightly less of a punching bag?" asked Tay, stull rubbing her arm.

"You are a simpleton, aren't you?" Tay took a moment to register the insult, but before she could retort, Genkai continued. "Every living thing gives off a signature, energy specific to them, fighters especially. Since you have no control, you unconsciously absorb the energy given off in a fight. In that instance, you gain little amounts of their abilities."

Tay paused, trying to retain all that she had been told. "So how does this affect me being locked in a room?"

Genkai smirked. "Oh, that hasn't changed. You still have a month."

* * *

**Well there she be! Thanks for reading and reviews are always welcome/suggested/wanted! ^_^**


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